Boat tilting device



April 30, 19 63 v T. J. JESTER BOAT 'rzurmc DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 30, 1960 Thomas J Jester NVENT WW fiML April 30, 1963 T. J. JESTER BOAT TILTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 30. 1960 IN VEN TOR.

Thomas J. Jester 9 BY @Awm (W HM g \\l 72 I I8 United States Patent ()1 3,087,628 BOAT TILTING DEVICE Thomas J. Jester, Silver Lake, Wis. (Box 7-A, Nelson, Nev.) Filed Mar. 30', 1960, Ser. No. 18,528 1 Claim. (Cl. 214-1) This invention relates to a boat tilting device, and

more particularly to a boat tilting device which is adapted prior patent which include an L-shaped supporting frame.

that is accessible from both ends as well as from one side and an actuating means for pivoting the L-shaped frame which is secured ot the pivotshaft for the frame intermediate the ends of the frame. This more evenly distributes the torque placed on the pivot shaft and in sures that the two L-shaped arms will be pivoted sub stantially simultaneously. Further, the actuating means for the L-shaped support frame of the present invention is adapted to be mounted on the flooring of a pier rather than on an arm which projects outwardly over the water and away from the pier.

The main object of this invention is to provide a boat tilting device that is primarily adapted to lift a boat from a horizontal position in the water to a position rotated approximately ninety degrees from the horizontal position, with the boat being supported on one side so that the bottom of the boat may be emptied of water therein and may be easily washed and cleaned if desired.

A further object of this invention, in accordance with the preceding object, is to provide a means for supporting the boat, when in the tilted position, from one side and both the top and bottom of the boat so that wind will not cause the boat to be blown from is tilted position in the tilting device.

Still another object of thisinvention, in accordance with the preceding objects, is to provide a tilting device which will be particularly well adapted to be enclosed by a housing of a sort which will provide protection from the elements for the more complicated parts of the device.

And a final object to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a boat-tilting'device which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be easy to operate, of simple construction so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, operable by persons not having extensive knowledge of mechanical devices, and long lasting.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the tilting device shown mounted upon the flooring of a pier with the L-shaped frame of the device in a lowered position and with the horizontal legs of the frame disposed beneath the surface of the water beside the pier, a boat being shown in phantom lines positioned over the L-shaped frame;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view on somewhat of an enlarged scale, taken substantially upon 3,087,628 Patented Apr. 30, 1963 ice a plane passing'transversely through the L-shaped frame and the center of the support housing;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational' view of the back of the support housing with the access door of the housing shown in anopen position illustrating the details of the controls for the operating mechanism of the tilting device, parts of the lifting device being broken away and partsof the pier being shown in section; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4-4of FIGURE 2.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a conventional type of permanent pier on'which the tilting device 12 is secured.

Itis to be noted that although the tilting device 12 is shown mounted upon a stationary pier 10, the tilting device 12' is also well adapted for use with floating or other types of piers. The pier 10 includes pilings 14 on which stringers 1-6 are secured, with a flooring 18 being secured to the upper surfaces of the stringers 16 in any convenient manner.

The tilting device 12 includes a substantially L-shaped lifting frame generally designated by the reference numeral 20 and includes a pair of spaced L-shaped arms 22 and 24 each of which includes a lower horizontal portion 26 adapted to be normally positioned below the surface of the water over which the pier 10 is constructed and a substantially vertically disposed arm portion 28. It will be noted that the horizontal arm portions 26 extend outwardly away from the pier 10 and that the vertical arm portions project upwardly from the ends of the horizontal arm portions 26 adjacent the pier 10.

As illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the tilting device 12 is in position to have a boat 30 positioned thereover in readiness to be-raised from the water and tilted on its side.

The tilting device 12 includes a pair of brackets 32 which may be secured in spaced relation to the flooring 18 by any convenient manner, such as fasteners 34. Each of the brackets 32 includes, a journal block 36 and opposite end portions. of a pivot shaft 38 are rotatably journaled in the journal blocks 36.

Each of the vertical arm portions 28 is provided with a crank arm 40 having one end fixedly secured to the pivot shaft 38 and the other end fixedly secured to the.

crank arm 40. It may therefore be seen that the L-shaped frame 20 is mounted for rotation with the pivot shaft38.

With particular reference to FIGURES 2 through 4, it will be noted that a support assembly generally designated by the reference numeral 42 is mount-ed upon the flooring 18 by means of a pair of spaced L-shaped angle members 44. The L-shaped angle members each have a horizontal leg 46 secured to the flooring 18 in any convenient manner such as fasteners 48 and a substantially vertically disposed flange '50 to which the bottom edges of the side walls of the housing assembly 54- are secured in any convenient manner. The free edges of the side walls 52 of the housing assembly 54 are interconnected by an inclined front wall 56 and a substantially vertically disposed rear wall 58. The housing assembly 54 is also provided with a top wall 60 to substantially entirely enclose the motor means for raising and lowering the frame 20. The motor means, which is generally referred to by the reference numeral 62, comprises an upstanding extensible motor 64 pivotally secured at its upper end to an upper port-ion of the support assembly 42, as at 66, and pivotally secured at its lower end to the free end of a lever 68, as at 70, whose other end is fixedly secured to the pivot shaft 38. It will be noted that when the L-shaped lifting frame 20 is disposed in the normal position with the horizontal arms 26 positioned beneath the boat 30 the lever 68 is substantially horizontally disposed above the flooring 18 and projects away from the frame 20.

With attention now directed more particularly to FIG- URE 2 of the drawings, it will be noted that the lifting frame 24 is disposed in the normal position beneath the boat 30 and that the extensible motor is substantially vertically disposed as shown in solid lines. When the extensible motor 64 is extended to pivot the free end of the lever 68 downwardly through the opening 70 formed in the flooring 18, the lifting frame 20 is pivoted about the pivot shaft 38 to a position illustrated by the phantom lines.

It is to be understood that although any type of ex tensible motor may be provided, the extensible motor 64 is designed to operate in response to fluid pressure such as compressed air. A compressed air supply line 72 is provided and a hand valve 74 may be manipulated to direct compressed air into the cylinder 64. If desired, a pressure gauge 76 may also be provided, especially if the compressed air is supplied from a storage tank.

The back wall 58 of the housing assembly 54- is provided with an access opening 78 having a closure 80 therefor which may be opened to gain access to the valve 74. A flexible line 82 is used between the valve 74 and the adjacent end of the extensible motor 64.-

With attention now again directed more particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, it will be noted that the L-shaped lifting frame 20 has only the horizontal arms 26 extending outwardly beyond the pier so that the boat 30 may have access to the tilting device 12 from either end of the L-shaped lifting frame or from the side thereof remote from the pier 10. Although it is not always the case, strong winds can make it very difiioult to dock a boat, and it is therefore very desirable to have a lifting device which may be approached from three sides.

As illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, the boat 30, when in the lifted and tilted position, may have its upper surfaces engaged with the inclined front wall 56 of the housing assembly 54 to limit the tilting movement of the boat 30 and to provide support for the boat 30 opposite the legs 26, which will hold the boat 30 in a tilted position against relatively strong winds.

It is to be understood that although the basic principles of the tilting device 12 have been illustrated and described herein, various modifications may be incorporated in the tilting device such as extensible vertical arm portions 28 which would be highly desirable in tidal waters.

Further, it can readily be seen that a suitable gear wheel could be fixedly secured to the pivot shaft 38 in place of the lever 68 and any convenient motor means could be coupled with such a gear wheel through appropriate gearing mechanisms to rotate the pivot shaft 38. In this instance, with appropriate gear ratios, the tilting device 12 could be conveniently operated by either a hand winch by an electric motor, each of which would require considerably less space than the motor means 62 illustrated.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

In combination with a pier having a flooring supported above the surface of a body of water, a boat tilting device comprising an L-shaped frame including a pair of spaced L-shaped members each having first and second arm portions normally disposed horizontally beneath the surface of the water and projecting away from one peripheral edge of the pier and disposed vertically and projecting upwardly from the end of the corresponding first arm portion adjacent said pier respectively, a pivot shaft rotatably journaled on said pier for rotation about an axis adjacent and generally paralleling said peripheral edge, means securing upper portions of said second arm portions to said shaft at points spaced longitudinally therealong and with the medial planes of said L-shaped members disposed generally at right angles to said axis, a crank lever fixed at one end to said shaft between said L-shaped members and normally being horizontally disposed over the flooring of said pier with its free end extending away from said shaft and said peripheral edge, said flooring having an opening formed therein beneath said crank lever, an upstanding support secured to said flooring adjacent said frame, upstanding extensible motor means pivotally connected at its upper end to said support and at its lower end to the free end portion of said crank lever, an upstanding housing for said support and extensible motor means mounted on said flooring and disposed over said opening enclosing said crank lever when in its normal position, said housing having an inclined wall adjacent said frame lying in a plane substantially paralleling said axis and adapted to be engaged by the upper surface of a boat when in a raised and tilted position for limiting tilting movement of said boat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 742,585 Butler Oct. 27, 1903 1,240,453 Houghton Sept. 18, 1917 2,232,045 Berthold Feb. 18, 1941 2,734,646 Stimpson Feb. 14, 1956 2,805,782 Jester Sept. 10, 1957 2,888,152 Sugg May 26, 1959 

